Trigeminal neuralgia is a syndrome of recurrent facial pain. "Trigeminal" is the name of the nerve that supplies sensation to the face. The word "neuralgia" means nerve pain. Thus, "trigeminal neuralgia" means that there is pain in the distribution of the trigeminal nerve.

Criteria for diagnosing trigeminal neuralgia include the following:

A. Recurrent attacks of facial or forehead pain that last a few seconds to less than 2 minutes.

B. Pain that has at least four of the following five characteristics:

1. Distribution along one or more divisions of the trigeminal nerve.
2. Sudden, intense, sharp, superficial, stabbing, or burning in quality.
3. Pain intensity is severe.
4. The pain is precipitated by contact with trigger areas, including daily activities such as eating, talking, washing the face, or brushing the teeth.
5. Between the painful episodes, the patient is normal.

C. No neurological deficits (ie, a normal neurological examination).

D. In each patient, the attacks are stereotyped, meaning the pain occurs in the same place over and over again and is of the same quality.

E. The headaches are not secondary to specific brain problem such as a stroke, brain tumor, or a specific lesion on the face itself.